Clearing device for beer dispensing systems



Aug. 29, 1939.

CLEARING DEVICE FOR BEER DISPENSING SYSTEMS DoH 2,171,142

Filed Nov. l, 1937 ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 429, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLEARING DEVICE FORBEER D'ISVPENSING SYSTEMS 4 Claims.

This invention has to do with the commercial dispensing of beer such ascommonly takes place in tap rooms, saloons and similar places and theinvention is concerned primarily with maintain 5 ing the beer in asalable condition.

Ordinarily beer is sold by breweries to tap rooms, saloons and the likein kegs which are positioned conveniently to the dispensing bar. Thisbar carries a Adispensing faucet which is connected by appropriateconduits to the keg. The beer is either cooled in the keg itself, or theconnections between the keg and the faucet include coils which aresubject to the effects of a refrigerant to bring the beer to thetemperature required to render it salable.

Regardless of which system of installation is employed there is always acertain amount of beer between the dispensing faucet and the place ofcooling (whether the coils or keg) which is not subject to the immediateeffects of the cooling medium. As a result when the faucet is idle forany appreciable period this unrefrigerated beer rises in temperature,with the result that when it is drawn off it is in an unsalable state.This may be due to the rise in temperature alone, or the fact that therise in temperature renders the gaseous content of the beer so active asto cause excess foaming.

While this rise in temperature of the beer from the faucet to the pointof cooling may be caused by lull" intervals during the business day, itis inevitable in the closing down overnight, which is usually requiredby state regulations. The ultimate result is that each morning the taproom owner must draw off a certain quantity of beer which is thrown awayand represents a complete loss.

With the foregoing conditions in mind this invention has in view, as itsforemost objective, the provision of apparatus which may be employed inconjunction with a beer dispensing system, including a dispensing faucetfor returning that beer which is contained in the system between thefaucet and point of cooling back to the place Where it is subject to theeffects of the cooling medium.

More in detail this invention has in view as an objective the provisionof apparatus which may be employed to force air under pressure into thefaucet with the pressure of the air sufcient to overcome the pressure ofthe beer, whereby the beer is forced backwardly towards the keg. Thusthe air replaces the beer in that space between the faucet and the pointof cooling.

In carrying this idea out in a practical embodiment this inventioncontemplates the use of .i

apparatus for initially pumping air through water whereby the air iswashed and clarified so that any effects it has on the beer in thesystem will be beneficial.

Various other more detailed objects and advantages will in part becomeapparent and in part be hereinafter stated, as the description of theinvention proceeds.

The invention, therefore, comprises apparatus which is designed to beconnected to a beer dispensing faucet and which includes a pump whichmay be operated to compress air that is first passed through water andthen past the faucet Vwhereby the beer between the faucet and point g,

of cooling is replaced by the compressed air.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention referencemay be had to the following description and accompanying drawing,wherein Figure 1 is a side View somewhat diagrammatic taken as a sectionthrough a dispensing bar, de- Veloping the manner in which rtheapparatus of this invention may be applied to a conventional beerdispensing system, and

Figure 2 is an enlarged detailed View taken as a section through theapparatus.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts, a bar is shown in Figure l and referred to gener-vally by the reference character B. This bar ordinarily includes a faucetF having a discharge spout I0.. A source of supply of beer isrepresented by the keg K, and this keg K is connected to the faucet F bya conduit represented at H.v

At this point it is well to note that the invention is not to be limitedto the particular type of dispensing system illustrated in Figure 1.This gure is intended to depict that arrangement now meeting with acertain amount of public approval, in which cooling coils are includedin the keg K and hooked up with an appropriate refrigerating system.Thus the beer is cooled in the keg itself.

The invention takes cognizance of the fact that there are other systemsmeeting with Widespread use in which the conduit l i includes coolingcoils that are immersed in a refrigerant to obtain the desired coolingeffects. In any event there is a certain extent of the conduit l lbetween the faucet F and the point of cooling.

In accordance with conventional practice beer in the keg K is subject toa required amount of gas pressure which may be either that of the beeritself or the pressure of the beer supplemented by air or gas that isintroduced into the keg K under pressure, and this pressure serves tomaintain the beer in the conduit II up to the control valve in thefaucet F.

When a tap room owner is desirous of closing down his place of businessfor the night, in accordance with this invention he avails of theapparatus shown in detail in Figure 2 to return the beer that iscontained in the line I I between the faucet F and the keg K back intothe keg. This apparatus comprises a cylindrical chamber I2 which may bemounted on a suitable supporting base in the form of a pedestal I3.

The cylindrical chamber I2 is provided with a top closure I4 that isformed with an outlet port at I5, and which outlet port is connectedwith a iiexible conduit I6 by a coupling represented at I'I.

The free end of the flexible conduit IE is provided with a couplingmember I8 that is designed to be quickly attached to the spout Iii ofthe faucet F. This coupling member I8 may take the form of a rubbersleeve such as illustrated in Figure 2, the rubber sleeve being adaptedto be snugly tted over the spout I.

The wall of the cylindrical chamber I2 is provided with an opening i9with which is associated a spout 20 that may be closed by a closuremember 2l that is preferably screwed on to the spout 20, the wingconstruction at 22 facilitating this screwing operation. When theclosure member 2l is removed a required amount of water may beintroduced through the spout 2li and opening I9 into the cylindricalchamber I2, and after this water has been introduced into the chamber I2the closure member 2i is positioned to close the spout 20.

lIhe end closure I4 is formed with a tubular extension 23 which isexteriorly threaded, as shown at 24, and an air pump designated 25passes through this tubular extension 23 into the cylindrical chamberI2. This air pump 25 has an air discharge represented at 26 at a pointclosely adjacent to the bottom of the chamber I2.

The air pump 25 is shown as formed with a flange 21 that engages againsta packing element 23 that bears against the extremity of the tubularextension 23. A iianged nut 2S is screwed on the threads 2li, and bearsagainst the flange 21 to maintain the pump 25 assembled within thechamber I2. This flanged nut 29 is formed with an opening 3D throughwhich passes the plunger 3l of the pump 25. This plunger 3| is providedwith an operating member in the form of a handle 32.

The detailed construction of the pump 25 is not here illustrated anddescribed, because air pumps of this type are well-known and availableto the purchasing public as such. When the apparatus is to be used, arequired amount of water is introduced into the chamber I2 through thespout 2B, after which the spout is closed. by the closure 2l. The waterin the chamber is represented at 33. The coupling element I8 is nowconnected to the spout I0 of the faucet F, after which the handle 32 isgrasped by the operator and the plunger 3| reciprocated in thewell-known manner.

The operation of the plunger 3l of the pump 25 in this manner causes airunder pressure to be introduced in the bottom of the cylindrical chamberI2 whereupon it passes upwardly through the water and is forced throughthe opening I5 and flexible conduit I6 into the faucet F. As thepressure of the air is built up it exceeds that of the beer in the kegsK so that the air forces the beer backwardly into the keg K and replacesthe beer in the conduit II.

After the beer in the conduit II has been replaced by compressed air theapparatus is disconnected by removing the coupling element I8 from thespout I0, whereupon it may be attached to the next faucet which is to betreated in a similar manner.

During the overnight period of nonuse the air in the conduit Il willrise in temperature, but when the tap room owner opens for business inthe morning he opens the faucet II to permit 1e escape of the air. Thusthe first beer which .reaches the faucet will have been maintained in acooled state in the keg K, and will be in a properly salable condition.

It is notable that further beneficial results are evidenced in theeffect of the purified air on the beer. With the air thus clarified itis evident that it cannot harm the beer, while it may have somedesirable effects thereon due to some little oxidation which may takeplace.

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbeforeset forth it is to be clearly understood that I am not to be limited tothe exact construction illustrated and described, because variousmodifications of these details may be provided in putting the inventioninto practice within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a beer dispensing system including a dispensingfaucet and means for cooling beer in the dispensing system, apparatusfor replacing the beer in the dispensing system between the faucet andcooling means with compressed air comprisingY a chamber adapted tocontain water, means for conductively connecting said chamber to thefaucet, and means for introducing air under pressure into the saidchamber whereby the air is passed through the water and then forced intothe faucet against the pressure of the beer in the system.

2. In combination with a beer dispensing sysem including a dispensingfaucet and means for cooling beer in the dispensing system, apparatusfor replacing the beer in the dispensing system between the faucet andcooling means with compressed air comprising a cylindrical chamberformed with a water inlet and` outlet opening, a closure for the waterinlet opening, a flexible conduit extending from the outlet openingincluding a coupling for detachably connecting the same to a faucet, andan air pump in said chamber.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising a cylindrical chamberformed with a water inlet opening and an air outlet opening, a closurefor the inlet opening, a flexible conduit connected to the outletopening, a coupling element on the extremity of said flexible conduit,an air pump extending into said chamber, and means for operating saidair pump.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising a cylindrical chamberformed with a water inlet opening and an air outlet opening, a closurefor the inlet opening, a flexible conduit connected to the outletopening, a coupling element on the extremity of said fiexible conduit,an air pump extending into said chamber and having an air outlet openingadjacent to the bottom. of the chamber, and means for manually operatingsaid air pump.

WILLIAM G. DOH.

